Coming soon to stores (and your tabletop) is Marvel Contest of Champions Battlerealm from Upper Deck! Channel your inner super powers with three to six players, with 13 different characters. 40 location cards, and six custom die. Available on May 23rd, there’s an added bonus for Marvel Insiders: If you purchase Marvel Contest of Champions Battlerealm, you’ll find a unique code that can will unlock in-game rewards for the digital Marvel Contest of Champions PLUS rewards on Marvel Unlimited. Order Marvel Contest of Champions Battlerealm today!

The Marvel Studios’ “Infinity War” storyline continues in Marvel Contest of Champions — and now Iron Man will join the battle against Thanos! Tony Stark may be on a different path than the rest of the Avengers, but he still has some fight in him as well as some super-powered allies.

Iron Man’s abilities include his Model 50 suit, which can deflect a variety of strikes while keeping Tony safe from harm. The suit will also Auto Block when health is low. Iron Man can also stay on offense by incinerating and shocking opponents, and their attacks — including Captain America’s Debuffs — are easily deflected.

Here’s a look at Iron Man in action and all of Iron Man’s abilities below:

If you’ve always wanted to have the powers of a time-traveling mutant, now’s your chance! Cable is now a playable character in Marvel Strike Force, and he’s bringing some powers that are sure to throw a wrench into everyone’s best laid plans.

One of Cable’s trickiest abilities is his manipulation of turn order, but he can also charge up attacks to blast his enemies with his Plasma Rifle. With every blast, his weapon is charged up more, increasing the damage he can cause. A highly-charged blast can take out not just the enemy in front of him but everyone else nearby. Cable can also employ his Psychic Surge, which teleports him behind his enemy where he can deliver a deadly blow without being seen. Another perk to being a psychic mutant: Cable’s ability gives him and his team a slight head start in combat.

The fan-favorite Captain America – Peggy Carter of Marvel Puzzle Quest, of course – has tons of in-game activities to support the release of EXILES #3 from Saladin Ahmed and Javier Rodriguez, available in stores and digitally, tomorrow, May 9!

In EXILES #3, Peggy Carter Cap faces off against an apocalyptically armed Red Skull! And the Exiles are just in time to join the fight – ‘cuz they’ve been kicked off their mission! There’s a new team of Watchers in town, and they’re cracking down on the Exiles’ interference in the timestream – even if it means the death of everything. Can the Exiles salvage Peggy Carter’s world, fix the Tallus and get back to saving reality before the Time-Eater tracks them down again?

Meanwhile, in-game, the Peggy Carter Bundle started this week, and kicking off today, we’ve got a Peggy Carter Versus Event as well as an Exiles Limited Vault, where everyone will receive a free Vault token.

Going day and date with the release of EXILES #3, Peggy Carter (Captain America) Champion Rewards are updated to include Captain America (First Avengers) and update Valkyrie to use EXILES #1 (Design Variant).

What exactly does Peggy Carter Captain America have up her sleeves? Her first ability is Ultimate Soldier, a red ability that costs 9 AP. When Captain America has a mission, no one gets in her way. Peggy lands a well-placed blow, ignoring any Protect tiles and dealing damage to the target.

Her second ability, Legendary Presence, is a Yellow Passive, which does not cost AP and is constantly active. When she enters the battle, her enemies panic and falter. While Peggy’s health is above 50%, all enemy abilities cost more AP to execute.

Lastly, Do As Peggy Says costs 11 Blue AP. When Peggy lands a direct hit with her shield, she disables the enemy team and helps her allies get the drop on their target.

Peggy Carter Captain America is earnable in the Unstable ISO-8 Event, this Thursday, May 10, and for an added bonus, this event is double Red Iso-8! Be sure to round out your roster with Peggy Carter in Marvel Puzzle Quest!

For three and a half years, Marvel Contest of Champions has been setting up its own Infinity War storyline. The Mad Titan has been operating in the shadows, collecting the stones, since 2014. It’s been leading to this – a devastatingly epic final boss fight!

We need all the heroes we can get, and this Thursday, May 10, Captain America (Infinity War), complete with his Wakandan vambrace shields, enters the fray as he makes his way into the Contest! If you can’t get enough of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War, pick up this 4-star Steve Rogers whose designs are inspired by the box office hit.

Since opposing the Sokovia Accords, the super-soldier has lost his shield and been forced underground. But with the help of friends new and old, he’s managed to re-equip and remain under the radar, all the while continuing to do what he believes is right – saving the world one clandestine mission at a time.

Cap’s basic abilities including Bleed, Stun, Fury and Kinetic Potential. His vibranium vambraces allows the Captain to store up to 5 Kinetic Potential charges. Summon up several of Cap’s special attacks like My Ally’s Claws, which inflicts Bleed and reduces his opponent’s defensive ability accuracy by 100%; activate Kinetic Discharge by smashing together his vambraces, unleashing a wave of kinetic energy, stunning your opponent; Lead from the Front, which sends his enemy crashing to the mat; and Leadership, where Cap learns from his teammates gaining a unique effect with Kinetically Charge for each class represented on his team, excluding himself.

We recommend mastering: Inequity, with his Signature Ability and the right teammates, Cap is capable of putting a lot of Debuffs on his opponent, allowing him to make greate use of this; Despair, with his natural ability to place Petrify Debuffs on his opponents, this can make for a powerful combination; and Petrify, where Cap can do a lot of Stunning, both through Well Timed Blocks, and through his Special 2 Attack, allowing him to keep the Petrify effect active for much of the fight.

See our fearless leader in action below and be sure to grab him this Thursday!

Danny Koo: Every update, I am excited about the growth of the character roster and new features that players can enjoy. Shadowland is perhaps my favorite update, because you can take a simple idea of a ladder and make it a challenge that is thematically appropriate.

Also, when heading to your local comic shop this week, be sure to grab this Marvel Future Fight variant cover of RISE OF THE BLACK PANTHER #5, on sale this week, featuring a cover by Netmarble Games’ art director Jee-Hyung Lee! (You can also pick up the digital copy here.)

Are you ready to earn the rare title of “Infinity Warrior”? Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland’s Champion Challenge continues to May 17, to get you trained for the Contest’s upcoming Infinity War event!

Kicking off this week is a brand new quest!

INFINITY NIGHTMARE (May 2 – June 6)
Thanos has won. His Infinity Gauntlet complete, and with it, he wields supreme power. Sitting atop the Battlerealm, he issues his first decree: “NO MORE GAMES. THE CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS IS OVER.”Everything grinds to a halt. His children hunt the heroes, who have taken refuge in the Astral Plane. It’s up to an uneasy alliance between M.O.D.O.K., Mephisto, and an army of free Champions, led by Captain America and Iron Man to stop Thanos, or die trying. Help them defeat Thanos now!

Entering the fray this week, we have one of the world’s greatest spies, the legendary 4-Star Black Widow (Infinity War)! Pick her up in the game starting today here!

Black Widow controls the enemy by Stunning the enemy and destroying their AP and Special tiles. She assists her allies by healing them and reducing the cost of her teammates powers. Pair Natasha’s powers with other characters that can stun enemies (Doctor Strange, Gamora, Ice-Man, Miles Morales, and Spider-Gwen).

Lights Out allows Widow to use covert weaponry to ensure no one gets past her stunning blows for three turns and deal 1,461 damage.

Defilade lets Nat hack the enemy’s surveillance system to keep herself out of sight and the line of fire, creating 4 invisibility tiles

While Black Widow has Invisibility tiles on the board, the power becomes Enfilade, allowing Black Widow to emerge from the shadows and strike out with her batons, surprising her enemy with a tactical strike. This destroys her Invisibility tiles and destroys 4 enemy Special tiles, dealing damage and gaining AP

This Week in Marvel Games: Thanos Descends Upon Marvel Games with 'Avengers: Infinity War' Event

Published Apr 18, 2018
By Christine Dinh

Everything you need to know about Marvel Games, this week!

True Believers, every Tuesday, make your way over to Marvel.com for a rundown of all this week’s Marvel Games news, from console game releases to character drops to mobile event updates, and more!

Thanos isn’t only terrorizing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on-screen with the April 27 release of Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War.” Starting this week, the Mad Titan will have our heroes scrambling to assemble across seven titles in Marvel Games roster. Now let’s get on to what cataclysmic events we can expect to see this week and what we can tease for the remaining participating titles!MARVEL CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS

Are you ready to earn the rare title of “Infinity Warrior”? Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman and Spider-Man’s Tom Holland will be kicking off their Champion Challenge tomorrow, Thursday, April 19, and run to May 17, to get you trained for the Contest’s upcoming Infinity War event!

Beginning on Wednesday, April 25, you can expect to find four new events in-game with the latest build update, including the “Infinity Nightmare” story quest, a daily “Infinity Trials” quest,” the solo “Vanquishing Blows” challenge, and “Infinity Dungeons,” which features social co-op quests.

TRIALS OF THE MAD TITAN (April 25 – June 6)
The powers of the Battlerealm’s Infinity Stones have spread throughout the Contest, leaving pockets of their condensed energies ripe for the picking. Cut your teeth on foes infused with the power of the Stones each day, and then collect Boosts that will temporarily give you access to the unique powers offered by each Stone! Combine these boosts on the final day each week to take on power enemies in the Trial of Omniscience, where the greatest rewards and most dangerous enemies lie.

INFINITY DUNGEONS (Available for a limited time only!)
Team up with another Summoner to battle through an endless series of Rooms. Even better, they don’t have to be in your alliance! Strategize with them while in the Dungeon with the new Quick Chat feature. Each Dungeon has a unique theme depending on the day you play, including randomized Buffs on Nodes that are different every time you play.The further you go, the harder it becomes, and the better the rewards. Once you completed a Room, you must decide whether to push on to the next and more difficult Room, or conclude the Dungeon and collect the points and rewards you’ve earned so far. Points earn you a new currency called Dark Artifacts. Use these vessels of dark power to purchase new Infinity Dungeon Crystals containing Champions.

Right out the gate, on Thursday, April 19, Captain America (Infinity War) brings his A-game, doing what’s right and saving the world one clandestine mission at a time. Pick up Captain America (Infinity War) here.

The good-all-around playable character is perfect for use in teams where you want to shut down problematic enemy powers. Harness the Super-Soldier’s powers during the “Come and Get Me Event,” running April 19 to April 22!

Rope-a-Dope allows Cap to distract the enemy with a false advance, misleading them and leaving their backline vulnerable

Coup de Grace lets Cap summon all his strength to land a finishing blow

Man Without Country means our hero can still protect the innocent with covert tactics

Lastly, Captain America can reach down and lift up his fallen ally and give a boost of health with On Your Feet, Soldier!

We gave you a taste of Supports early this month, you can expect plenty of Infinity War tie-in items and bonuses to help your heroes throughout the Event, kicking off starting on April 24!

Never one to walk away from a challenge, the new action-RPG mobile game, available on iOS and Android, will have “Avengers: Infinity War” characters Thanos, Vision, Star-Lord, Loki, and Doctor Strange, assembling. You can expect Thanos timed raids and the Thanos legendary event kicking off Thursday, April 19!

We’ve been teasing for over two years now, and the destiny has finally arrived in the form of Thanos descending upon the Avengers Academy and our heroes. Keep it on Marvel.com to learn about the heroes and villains across the universe who will need to team up to stop him.

Thanks to Marvel, Insomniac Games and Titan Books, to get you ready for Marvel’s Spider-Man’s September 7 release, “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Hostile Takeover” will give you an early look at what kicks off the events in the game. The prequel book, written by David Liss and available on August 21, will feature some of Spidey’s most famous friends and foes, including the Shocker, Echo, J. Jonah Jameson, Mary Jane Watson, and the Kingpin.

Don’t miss out on “Marvel’s Spider-Man: The Art of the Game,” written by Paul Davies, which will follow on September 11, for never-before-seen images of Spider-Man, his costume and equipment, the Marvel version of his hometown New York, and the deadly villains he battles, fans will get a behind the scenes look at the game from initial designs, blueprints, and the breathtaking final concepts!

Marvelites, the Runaways have interrupted an ancient god’s ritual in the underwater Marine Vivarium and it’s up to you to re-group among the chaos!

If you’ve checked out “Marvel’s Runaways” streaming now, exclusively on Hulu, and couldn’t get enough, Marvel Games and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has your back! Out today, pick up “Marvel’s Runaways Character and Level Pack,” the new DLC for LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 for $2.99.

In this all-new Brian K. Vaughan’s Runaways comic-inspired pack, players will travel to the undersea Marine Vivarium where they’ll try to escape from the chaos and destruction that their criminal parents, ‘The Pride,’ have brought upon them. New unlockable characters Nico Minoru, Chase Stein, Alex Wilder, Karolina Dean, Molly Hayes, Old Lace, and Gertrude Yorkes add to the main game’s roster of over 200 Super Heroes and Super Villains. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is available on PlayStation®4, Xbox One®, Nintendo Switch™, and Windows® PC.

Cosmic warrior Proxima Midnight enters the Battlerealm with an insatiable hunger for death this Thursday, April 12. What is this Black Order member capable of? Take a look below!

The presence of Thanos’ greatest warrior can only mean terrible things await our heroes. Proxima Midnight is a formidable foe to anyone that crosses her. She’s a master combatant that’s willing to deal death by her spear without even a second thought. Her entire kit is based on Prowess and True Accuracy. Her abilities are enhanced and players gain good synergy bonsues when she receives special assists with Champions Corvus Glaive, Nebula, and Thor (Ragnarok). She’ll dish some heavy attacks against Infinity Enemies like Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Hulk (Ragnarok).

This deadly super villain will be unleashed April 12. Check your in-game messages for more information about this deadly addition to the Contest!

In the world of Marvel Avengers Academy, our young heroes can’t seem to catch a break between exams and super villains hellbent on destruction. Marvel.com writer Justin Synder caught a few minutes between classes to chat with Allen Warner, Lead Narrative Designer at TinyCo, to get you all the details on the Jessica Jones event, inspired by “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” the first two seasons streaming exclusively on Netflix.

Marvel.com: What brings Kilgrave out of the woods now?

Allen Warner: New York has been decimated by the recent attacks of government-created Hulks, and the entire world is panicked because of the imminent arrival of Thanos. Being the sleazy manipulator he is, Kilgrave takes advantage of the chaos by using his mind-control powers to set the city’s most powerful crime families against one another. As they knock each other out one by one, he assumes control of their resources and minions, quickly turning himself into the new kingpin of crime. As you can guess, this immediately puts him in the crosshairs of not only the Defenders and the Avengers, but rival criminal masterminds like Madame Gao and Kingpin.

Marvel.com: Jessica has quite a history with him. How will their past influence the event and her story?

Allen Warner: In our world, they’re both younger, and have yet to really cross paths. As an investigator and a hero, Jessica knows about the seedy side of the city, so she knows about Kilgrave being an arrogant scumbag who’s done horrible things, but it isn’t as personal or serious as it’s been portrayed in the comics and TV show. That being said, she doesn’t have any respect or patience for manipulative people like Kilgrave, so she takes it upon herself to shut down his operation, and make it very clear that he isn’t welcome in her city.

Marvel.com: What new faces will we see join the Academy as Kilgrave puts his scheme into action?

Allen Warner: Our new character this event is the Hood. We thought it would be cool to being in an antihero who would have a personal vendetta against Kilgrave for ruining his own criminal operation. The Hood has an amazing power-set, and some interesting history to play off with characters like Doctor Strange and Mysterio and Mephisto, so it made for some really cool interactions and stories. His visual levels look awesome, and his top visual rank is probably the most wicked looking character we’ve ever featured in Avengers Academy.

In addition to the Hood, we’ll also be bringing back Jessica Jones, Hellcat, and Luke Cage. These are a few of my favorite characters we’ve ever featured in the game from their visuals to their animations to their stories. It’s a lot of fun to bring them back together again along with some of the other Defenders to see how they deal with Kilgrave, and how they view the looming threat of Thanos.

Marvel.com: Seems like our heroes will need some new tech to combat Kilgrave and his mind control abilities. Who suits up in new gear to bring the fight to Purple Man?

Allen Warner: We’re adding awesome new outfits for Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Spider-Woman. Two are all-time classics from the comics, and the third is a more obscure choice that’s a perfect fit for dealing with both Kilgrave, and the threat on the horizon. Each one completely changes the look and vibe of their respective character, and I think people are really going to enjoy adding them to their campus.

Marvel.com: Kilgrave as a villain differs quite a bit from most we’ve seen at the academy. What was it like to write him and this story?

Allen Warner: Having removed the most atrocious acts that he hasn’t committed in our universe, we’re left with an arrogant, egotistical, sarcastic, insecure sociopath, which actually makes him pretty similar to quite a few of our villains, and even a few of our “heroes.” It was actually really interesting to bounce those traits off of the other characters, and see how they each react. One of my favorite things about the story in this event is that it’s the first time we’ve spent a lot of time watching the various villains interact, and it’s really interesting to see the natural hierarchy, and in some cases, unexpected heroism, that results from their rivalries. It turns out that heroes like Jessica Jones aren’t the only ones who want to knock the smirk off Kilgrave’s face.

Marvel.com: Thanos still lurks on the horizon. Can we expect to see him make his move soon?

Allen Warner: VERY SOON. I can’t wait to finally reveal the secret origin of the Avengers Academy universe, and talk about all of the amazing new heroes and outfits we created to help our heroes win the Infinity War.

Channel the Power Woman in her event starting this Thursday, April 12. Download the mobile game on Google Play and iTunes.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN: We know you’ve already pre-ordered the blockbuster action game from Marvel Games, Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment, and you’re waiting for September 7 to roll around.

Be sure to check Game Informer all month long as they keep things Spidey 24/7:

Be sure to head to pick up the physical Game Informer issue this coming Friday, featuring exclusive info, art and more, from their Insomniac Games visit. And all month long, check-in on Game Informer Spider-Man Hub for additional looks and details!

There is no shortage of mutants rolling out across your favorite mobile games, and the folks over at D3 Go! aren’t skimping! The young, effervescent Jubilee makes her way into Marvel Puzzle Quest this Thursday, dealing damage while changing the state of the board by unleashing Heart of the Team, Light Show, and Roman Candle.

Team her up with other characters that create Charged titles like Thor, Goddess of Thunder; Lockjaw; and Blackbolt. Pick up Jubilee here and test her out during the her Release debuts “The X-Men vs. Apocalypse” this April 5 to 8, and “S.H.I.E.L.D. Training” between April 5 to 12. Her stores, “S.H.I.E.L.D. Training Heroes for Hire,” will be available April 5 to 12, and “Jubilee & Friends,” April 8 to 14. Her featured event “Unstable Iso-8” runs April 8 to 13, and finally, her Versus Tournament “Here to Chew Bubblegum” starts on April 8 and ends April 11.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

MARVEL Strike Force, available on iOS and Android, is now recruiting heroes to help Fury assemble a squad to take on Ultimus and his Kree army. Read our exclusive interview with the team, watch the exclusive gameplay trailer, and learn some handy tips and tricks as you embark on the latest S.T.R.I.K.E. mission here.

Entering Contest of Champions: Sabretooth

Published Mar 27, 2018
By Ben Chabala

Logan's fiercest foe makes his way into Battlerealm!

Sabretooth’s been sharpening his claws and finally makes his first feral foray into “Marvel Contest of Champions.” We talked to Kablam Art Director Gabriel Frizzera and Lead Character Artist Gene Campbell about Wolverine’s arch enemy, what he’s capable of, and what exactly he’s doing in the Contest!

Marvel.com: Loving all the mutants that are finding their way to Battlerealm recently. Any reason for the X-Gene immigration?

Gabriel Frizzera: This latest wave are more refugees than immigrants, I would say. Somewhere in the space-time labyrinth of the Battlerealm there’s a dark future where a corrupt mutant elite dominated the Contest and enslaved everybody, using a new breed of Sentinels to do their bidding… and their future conflict has spilled into our present.

Marvel.com: And y’all have picked one of the most vicious X-foes out there, the deadly Sabretooth. Why does this maniac deserve a spot on the roster?

GeneCampbell: For a long time now, Sabretooth has been one of the most highly requested characters from our player base. We knew he’d be a popular addition, but we needed to wait for the right time to introduce someone of his caliber to the Battlerealm. We knew we would need an aggressive character to upset and disrupt some of the more prominent figures in the Contest, and in Victor Creed, we found the perfect Champion for that job.

Marvel.com: Like Bishop before him, I’m getting a very 90s Victor Creed feeling here. What was important to the team in bringing Sabretooth to life?

GeneCampbell: When we think of Sabretooth here at Kabam, everyone fondly remembers watching the 90’s X-Men TV series every Saturday morning when we were young. For us, this is the quintessential version of Sabretooth that we need to represent. The ferocious, vicious psychopath that was a constant threat to our childhood heroes. We hope this version triggers the same sense of nostalgia to all the Sabretooth fans in the Contest.

Marvel.com: How does he play? How did you make him feel like Sabretooth?

Piero Herrera: His entire kit is based on Furies and Bleeds. A simple concept, but combined with Persistent Variables this means he will get more and more furious and deal a lot more damage as he knocks out more opponents. Player will be rewarded by hunting mutants while playing with Sabretooth, his special attacks feel very ferocious with long jumps and boulder throws, and last but not least his Bleed effects will also scale with his Fury bonuses, making special attacks extremely powerful.

Marvel.com: He gains passive regeneration stacks? How does he cash out and get that sweet sweet healing?

Piero Herrera: Actually, those Regeneration stacks will start healing right away, over a long period of time and based on the damage Sabretooth takes from a hit. The only way to completely stop his ability is by inflicting a Heal Block, or if players are feeling adventurous, reversing his heal effect will also work.

Marvel.com: You guys also gave him cold immunity, which means he’d be a pretty decent pick into characters like Iceman and… Who else freezes their foes?

Piero Herrera: Currently, this is just going to be useful against Iceman! A lot of player are currently fighting against Iceman in Alliance Wars, making Sabretooth a really good option not only because of his utility, but also because of his damage potential when all of his Fury Buffs are charged up.

Marvel.com: Typically a loner, does he have any good synergy bonuses?

Piero Herrera: You bet he does! A lot of his utility comes from his synergies that he will be able to get when paired up with Champions like Scarlet Witch, Magneto, Old Man Logan, Black Panther and Killmonger. He will be able to bypass effects like Black Panther’s Stun Reflection ability and also will prevent other Champions like Kingpin and Agent Venom from shrugging off debuffs. Please read more about those synergies in Sabretooth’s Champion Spotlight in-game.

Marvel.com: And when do we get to unleash his animal fury on the Contest?

Piero Herrera: This beast will be unleashed on March 29! Check your in-game messages for more information about this awesome addition to the Contest.

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Entering Contest of Champions: Bishop

Published Mar 15, 2018
By Ben Chabala

This mutant is ready to challenge some Sentinels on Battlerealm!

Following close on the rocket-fueled heels of the Sentinels, Bishop, X-Man and energy manipulator extraordinaire, enters Battlerealm ready to do some hunting of his own. We talked to Kabam Art Director Gabriel Frizzera and Game Designer Shane O’Connor about Bishop’s new look, his abilities, and why you need him on your “Marvel Contest of Champions” roster.

Marvel.com: We just saw some nasty Sentinels crash land on Battlerealm, is Bishop here to turn them to slag?

Gabriel Frizzera: Or die trying. He came from the alternate future where a corrupt mutant elite dominated The Contest of Champions, and used the Sentinels to enslave not only mutants that disagreed with them, but all Champions. He thinks Sabertooth is the key to stop that from happening, so he’s traveling to our present timeline to eliminate him.

Gabriel Frizzera: Yeah, there’s lots to love in the 90s versions of the X-Men, but some stuff didn’t… age so well. We updated the hair to a dreadlock ponytail, filled the beard a bit more, and changed the scarf to a more current version. But we kept the rest like the classic from the 90s.

Marvel.com: Bishop’s mutant gift is all about absorbing kinetic energy and redirecting it. How does that play out in the game?

Shane O’Connor: Bishop is a master of absorbing energy, and he can do so from a variety of sources. Kinetic Energy is absorbed by performing a well-timed block. Other forms of energy, such as abilities like Shock or Coldsnap and attacks like beams or lightning, are passively absorbed at all times. All this stored energy fuels Bishop’s Power Meter and magnifies his Special Damage to record-breaking levels.

Marvel.com: Ok let’s talk about all of Bishop’s abilities. What kind of powers does he get from Foresight and how does that factor into the rest of his kit?

Shane O’Connor: Bishop has the unique ability to maintain his Power Meter from fight to fight. With a bit of Foresight, Bishop starts the fight with a unique bonus to help him deal with specific scenarios, or to simply arrive on the scene ready to explode. The most niche bonus powers up his block to help against specific opponents, while the most threatening bonus is a force multiplier on his Special Damage.

Marvel.com: What do his team-up bonuses look like? Who does he fight best beside?

Shane O’Connor: Bishop is best paired with Psylocke for some extra control over the enemies’ Power Meter. Allies that deal large amounts of energy damage, such as Storm or Doctor Strange, are also able to use that energy to charge up Bishop in advance so he starts the fight with Power and bonus Special Damage – some for each teammate that triggers the stackable Energy Conduit Synergy.

Marvel.com: When do we get to play with the energy absorbing mutant for ourselves?

Shane O’Connor: Bishop time-travels into The Contest by way of the Era of Strife, Product of Oppression, and Agony of Memory Arenas today, March 15.

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Entering Contest of Champions: Sentinel

Published Mar 1, 2018
By Ben Chabala

These mutant-hunting robots enter the Battlerealm this week!

A fleet of Sentinels make their way to “Marvel Contest of Champions” this week, fueled by ISO-8 energy and on a mission to bring mayhem to the arena. Big, bad, and ready to reduce players to their component parts, the Sentinels came to blast first and ask questions never. We talked to Kabam Art Director Gabriel Frizzera and Game Designer Erich Kohlweg and got the breakdown of all of Sentinel’s awesome abilities.

Marvel.com: It was only a matter of time before the mutant-hunting Sentinels made it to Battlerealm. But they’re not just chasing down mutants right?

Gabriel Frizzera: There’s a bit of a twist on this version of the Sentinels. They actually come from the future of The Contest, where a corrupt mutant elite are the ones imprisoning everyone else in prison camps, including their own kind. The Sentinels were their army… But the robots rebelled against their masters, and after dominating their own timeline, they have breached the other territories of the Battlerealm to exterminate all forms of life, be them mutant or not.

Marvel.com: What makes these Sentinels different than what our heroes have dealt with in the past?

Gabriel Frizzera: They are a new experiment for us. We wanted to create a new, more powerful kind of “grunt” to replace the Symbioids, which we love, but were getting a bit overused. So we created a different version of the Sentinel for every class in the game (which worked well in the story since Sentinels can adapt to various kinds of foes), and they’ll be populating all our game modes. But we had an extra character release slot in March, so we decided to have a special playable version, so the Summoners can add giant killer robots to their team!

Marvel.com: How did the team trick out these Sentinels for Contest of Champions? They look pretty similar to the metal monstrosities we know and love but I’m sure you all did something to set them apart.

Gabriel Frizzera: The Sentinels are one of the characters that is always changing. There are many versions of them and it’s very hard to pick a favorite. So, starting from the classic model from the original “Days of Future Past” storyline (the inspiration for this month’s event), we designed our own version. We call this one the “Mark-ISO”, since they have evolved to use ISO-8 as a power source. Their design is analogous to what Marvel has done to Iron Man in the last decade: from simple and “Super Hero-like”, Iron Man’s armor evolved to take cues from vehicle and industrial design. We did the same with the Sentinels, adding machine-shaped curves and panels but still paying homage to the original. Also, he’s BIG! Sentinels are supposed to be large, and although we can’t make them 30 feet tall without compromising gameplay, we made them our largest character to date.

Marvel.com: And does their enhanced weaponry match their new and improved sense of style? What makes them tick?

Erich Kohlweg: Sentinel is as a tanky Champion that builds up increased defensive and offensive abilities throughout the fight. Sentinel’s core ability, Target Analysis, allows it to analyze the target’s actions through their movements and attacks. Each time the target performs a consecutive action, Sentinel’s Attack, Armor, and Critical Resistance increases leading to the target becoming fully analyzed. Once fully analyzed, the duration of Debuffs that Sentinel inflicts with his abilities are all doubled! Sentinel is a Champion that can easily get out of control if not dealt with quickly.

Marvel.com: Overall they seem like a fairly straightforward addition to the roster, while being very difficult to bring down.

Erich Kohlweg: Sentinel has strong defense but even if they are broken, there’s still more to deal with. Sentinel’s Signature Ability provides valuable utility by reducing the effectiveness of target’s Power depletion abilities such as Power Burn. This is particularly good when combined with another of Sentinel’s abilities, Special Attack cost reduction as Sentinel analyzes a target.

Marvel.com: And teammates? Do any of their directives have them playing nice with any other champs?

Erich Kohlweg: Sentinel is a machine and has no “teammates” as it is only concerned with its own objectives. Pairing with a wide variety of Champions from almost every Class, Sentinel assimilates powerful abilities to overcome the exact Classes matching those that provided the ability. When Sentinel is paired with Ant-Man, Sentinel gains the ability to reduce Debuffs when facing Science Champions. This same structure applies with The Hood, Iceman, Kingpin, Green Goblin, and a quite few more!

Marvel.com: When can we grab Sentinel for ourselves?

Erich Kohlweg: As of today, March 1! Make sure to keep an eye out for the in-game message and you’ll be able to get your hands on Sentinel.

In “Battlerealm,” each player will take control of one of the 13 available Marvel super heroes and create a play area containing different locations such as Arcane Arena, Wakandan Necropolis, Avengers Towers or the Savage Lands. Roll the dice to activate your powers and move across locations to gain points of their own and to take points from others.

Only one Summoner can be victorious in the Contest of Champions. Will it be you?